Guard-finger for harvesters, &amp;c.



PATENTBD APR. 10, 1906.

F. HAMAGHBK. GUARD FINGER FOR HARVESTERS, 6x0.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 22| 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

VSpecification of Letters Patent.

GUARD-FINGER FOR HARVESTERS, &C.

Patented April 10, 1906.

Application filed September 22. 1904:. Serial No. 225,408.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK HAMACHEK, residing in Kewaunee, in the county of Kewaunee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Guard- Fingers for Harvesters and the Like, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to guard-fingers for harvesters and the like, and has for its object to provide such a device which will be movable to constantly keep in touch with the ground notwithstanding irregularities in the surface thereof, and thereby be particularly adapted for use with fallen or lodged grain or vines.`

Another object of this invention is to provide means in combination with such a movable guard-finger to carry the grain or vines from the inclined portion of the guard-finger,

over the cutter-bar, and to the platform or apron of the machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new form of cutting-tooth adaptable for use in cutting mechanisms for harvesters, mowers, and the like.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the finger-guard and its parts and combinations of parts and their equivalents, as herein described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a guard-finger embodying the present invention shown attached to a harvester cutting mechanism, parts being sectioned to better illustrate the construction. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view ltaken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the new cutting-tooth involved in this invention.

In the drawings, 7 represents the platform of a harvester, to which is secured the nger- .bar 8, carrying the journal-boxes 9, in which are journaled the guide-rollers 10. Around these rollers 1 0 travels the conveyer-belt 11, provided with the transverse slats 12, as usual.

To the forwardly-projecting flange of the finger-bar 8 are rigidly clamped the guard- -lingers by means of clamping-bolts 13, which pass through perforations in said flange and through perforations in the rear flattened ends of the castings or body portions 14 of the guard-lingers. The head of the bolt 13 for each guard-finger is protected by means of a pair of downwardly-extending side flanges 15 on the body portion 14. The upper surface of the flattened rear end of the body portion 14 is provided with an upwardly-extending transverse flange 16 to bear against the front edge of the forwardly-extending fiange of nger-bar Sand serves to retain the guardfinger in its proper position against turning upon the clamping-bolt 13.

In advance of the iiange 16 is another fiange 17 on the upper surface of the body portion 14, to whichis secured, by means of a rivet 18 or otherwise, the lower cutting-tooth 19 of the cutting mechanism, said cuttingtooth having its pointed end housed within a recess 20 in the body portion 14 just in advance of the flange 17. On either side of flange 17 are lateral spacing-arms 17 in line therewith. Resting upon the cutting-tooth 19 is the upper cutting-tooth 21, which is riveted or otherwise secured at its rear end to the sickle-bar 22, said rivet or connecting means having a passage-way between the flanges 16 and 17 of the body portion. A guide-plate 23 is arched over the sickle-bar and forms a thrust-bearing therefor, being secured in position on top of the finger-bar 8 by means of the clamping-bolts 13.

The cutting-teeth 19 and 21 of this invention differ from those of the usual construction in that their cutting edges 24 do not eX- tend from their apexes to their meeting edges 25 g but in order that the angle at which the upper and lower sets of cutting-teeth shear their cutting edges together may be sharper 1 than with those in present use without changing the width and length of the tooth these cutting edges 24 are made to extend from the apexes of the teeth to points 26, considerably removed from their meeting edges 25, thereby leaving rectangularv spacing-lugs on either side of the base of each cutting-tooth. By thus sharpening the angle of the shear between the cutting-blades their efficiency is increased, since the tendency to wedge the grain from between the cutting-blades is not so great as at present.

he front end of the body portion 14 ofthe guard-finger is slightly tapered in cross-section and merges with an upwardly and rearwardly extending web 27, which at its lower edge forms an overhanging wall 28 for the recess 20 above the cutting-teeth.

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At the rear end of the inclined upper Aedge of the web 27 is pivotally mounted a movable member 29, which has a groove 30 along its under edge, forming oppositely-disposed ears 31, through which a rivet or other pivoting means 82 is passed to constitute the pivotal connectionbetween said movablemember and the web. The groove 3() is provided at its front end with a stop-lug 33 to engage with and limit the movements Within said roove of an enlarged head 34, formed on the orward end of the web 27. The enlarged head 34 by engaging with the upper wall of the groove 30 and the stop-lug 33 limits the degree of swing to which the movable member 29 is capable, and said enlarged head may be easily ground to fit within the groove to freely move therein without permitting horizontal swing or play of the movable member.

The front end of the movable member 29 is pointed and slightly raised from the ground by means of the rounded bearing-surface 35 slightly in the rear thereof. The bearingsurface 35 is adapted to constantly bear upon the ground and lead the pointed end of the movable member under the fallen or lodged grain or vines, so that they will be caused to ride upon the inclined upper edge of said movable member.

Formed integral with the upper rear end of the movable member 29 is a rearwardly-extending guide-finger 36, which supports the grain or vines during the cutting operation and thereafter until said vines are forced therefrom onto the conveyer-apron 11, the edge of which passes close to the rear end of the fingers 36. By means of the guide-iingers 36 the grain is not permitted to accumulate upon the cutting mechanism and form an obstruction to the free passage of other grain or vines to the conveyer-apron; but it is supported over the cutting mechanism until pushed therefrom by means of the following grain, and then it is deposited upon the conveying-apron. The guide-finger 36 being integral with the moving member 29 affords a continuous guide with the upper surface of said movable member without a break or an opening into which material might be pinched by the movements of the movable member, as would possibly be the case with a stationary guide-finger.

I/Vhen it is found that the weight of the movable member 29 is not sufficient to keep it riding on the ground, a coil-spring 37 is provided therefor with its coil housed between the ears 31 beneath the guide-finger 36, with one end extending beneath said guide-finger to near the rear end thereof, then through a perforation through said guide-finger, and bent down on top thereof. The other end of the spring 37 extends downwardly and is bent into a perforation therefor in the rear edge of the web 27.

The movable member 29 has its pivotal connection with the web 27 of the body portion located directly above the cutter-bar of the cutting mechanism in order that the guide-finger 36 thereof may be only required to support the material after it has been cut by the cutting mechanism, and therefore is not liable to produce the swing .of the movable member on its pivotal connection by uncut vines riding thereon. If the pivotal connection for the movable member were located in front of the cutting mechanism, it is obvious that tangled vines and the like, passing up the inclined portion of the movable member would after passing above the pivotal mounting thereof be liable to bear down upon the rear portion of the movable member and the guide-finger 36, being constantly tightened by the forward movement of the machine, and thereby swing the movable member on its pivotal mounting before being cut by the cutting mechanism. The guidefinger 36 by extending entirely over the cutter-bar, serves to support and convey the cut material so far to the rear that when it drops therefrom it does not fall upon the cutting mechanism, but is deposited directly upon the apron 11.

I/Vhat I claim as my invention isl. In combination with the finger-bar and sickle of a cutting mechanism7 a guard-finger comprising a body portion having means for connecting it to the finger-bar, an upstanding part on the body portion, a movable member pivotally ymounted on the upstanding part with its pivot over the sickle, and a guide-finger carried by the movable member to lead the cut material over the cutting mechanism.

2. In combination with the finger-bar and sickle of a cutting mechanism for harvesters, a guard-finger comprising a body portion having means for connecting it to the fingerbar, an upstanding part on the body portion, a movable member pivotally mounted on the upstanding part with its pivot over the sickle, and a guide-finger carried by the movable member to lead the cut material over the cutting mechanism onto the apron of the harvester.

3. In combination with the finger-bar and sickle of a cutting mechanism, a guard-finger comprising a body portion having means for connecting it to the finger-bar, an upwardlyextending web on the body portion, a movable member pivotally mounted on the web with its pivot over the sickle, and aguidefinger integral with the movable member to lead the cut material over the cutting mechanism.

4. In combination with the finger-bar and sickle of a cutting mechanism for harvesters, a guard -iinger comprising a body portion having means for connecting it to the fingerbar, an upwardly-extending web on the body portion, a movable member pivotally mounted on the web with the pivot over the sickle,

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and a guide -finger integral with the movable member' and extending' over the cutting mechanism and adapted to lead the cut material over said cutting mechanism andv onto the apron of the harvester.

5. In a finger-guard a body portion. adapted to be connected to the finger-bar of the cutting mechanism of a harvester, a transverse flange on the body portion to engage said 'linger-bar and. hold the guard-finger in position, a second transverse flange on the body portion, a cutting-blade secured there to, said body portion being provided with a recess to receive the point ofthe cuttingblade, a second cutting-blade bearing on the first-mentioned cutting-blade, a sickle-bar secured thereto, a guide-plate secured to the finger-bar and arched over the sickle-bar forming a thrust-bearing therefor, an upwardly and rearwardly extending web on the body portion forming an overhanging wall for the recess, a movable member pivotally mounted on the web and having a groove therein, an enlarged head on the front end of the web contained within the groove of the movable member, a stop-lug on the movable member to limit the movements thereof by engaging said head, said movable member being pointed on its front end and .having a lower bearing-surface slightly to the rear of said end adapted to rest on the ground, andv a rearwardly-extending guide finger integral with and projecting from the rear endv of the movable member adapted to support the cut material and convey it over the cutting mechanism and onto the moving apron of the harvester.

6. In combination with the finger-bar and sickle of a cutting mechanism, a guard-linger comprising a body portion having means for connecting it to the finger-bar, an upwardly and rearwardly extending web on the body portion overhanging the cutting mechanism, a movable member pivotally mounted on the web with its pivotal poi-nt above the sickle, and. a finger on the movable member extending rearwardly to beyond the finger-bar and adapted to support and convey cut material over the cutting mechanism and deposit it in the rear thereof.

7. In combination with the finger-bar and cutting-teeth of a cutting mechanism, a guard linger comprising a body portion adapted to be connected to the finger-bar, an upstanding part on the front of the body portion extending rearwardly over the cutl ting mechanism, a spring-pressed movable member pivotally mounted on the upstanding part with its pivot above andv to the rear of the cutting edges of the cutting-teeth, and a guide-finger carried by the movable member andv extending so far to the rear as to lead cut material entirely over the cutting mechanism.

8. In combination with the finger-bar and cuttingteeth of a cutting mechanism, a guard-finger comprising a body portion adapted to be connected to the finger-bar, an upwardly-extending web on the front of the body portion, a movable memberl having side ears pivotally mounted on the web with the pivot directly above the cutting-teeth, a guide-finger on the movable member' extending rearwardly sufficiently to lead cut material over the cutting mechanism, and a coilspring with its coil housed. between the ears of the movable member with one end extending beneath the guide -fmger and passing through the end thereof and the other end extending downwardly and secured to the web.

9. In combination with the finger-bar and cutting-teeth of a cutting mechanism, a guard-linger comprising a body Aportion having means for connecting it to the -finger-bar, an upstanding part on the front of the body portion, and a movable member pivotally mounted on the imstallding part with its pivot located to the rear of the cutting edges of the cutting-teeth and having means adapted to lead cut material to the rear of the cutting mechanism.

10. In combination with the finger-bar and cuttingteeth of a cutting mechanism, a guard-finger comprising a body portion having means for connecting it to the finger-bar of the cutting mechanism, an upstanding part on the body portion extending rearwardly over the cutting-teeth, an inclined movable member pivotally connected to the upstanding part with its pivot located to the rear of the cutting edges of the cutting-teeth, and a guide-finger carried by the movable member for depositing cut material in the rear of the cutting mechanism.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK I-IAMACI-IEK.

Vitnesses R. S. C. CALDWELL, ANNA F. SCHMIDTBAUER.

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